Gambit, Love and the Apocalypse
by themirrorthief
Summary: Gambit struggles against all odds after nuclear war crushed the Earth. Who can he trust, who can he love? Where is Rogue?
1. Chapter 1

The great nuclear war had destroyed almost everything and everyone. The X-Men were all dead except for Gambit. A few dusty little towns were all that remained, somewhere out west. Gambit roamed around on an old motorcycle. He had nothing but the bike and a gun. It was tough, tough times to say the least. He thought about Rogue sometimes. He wondered if she might have survived. He didn't think so but she was a lot stronger than a normal person so who knew for certain. Besides, how could he look for anyone when three fourths of the continent was saturated with deadly radiation. He needed gas, that was certain. It was also certain that he might have to kill for it, or maybe find a bicycle. It was a tough choice but what the hell could he do about it. It didn't help that he was always horny too. Why did he have to be one of the few healthy males left in the world? Did God have a plan? Was there a God? God help us all he mused.

Gambit pulled over at a little dirty bar. There might be someone inside who could fix him up with enough gas to make it to the next town. He might settle down in the next town...wtf? He needed to settle down he supposed. A man couldn't wonder around forever like a lost soul in purgatory.

Inside the bar there were quite a few people, a least four including the bartender. That was a crowd. There were two really dirty looking a holes harassing a young girl over by the jukebox. The jukebox was playing, the place must have a generator...that meant gas! He tried to not get to excited.  
"Beer please," he said. "All we have is whiskey, moonshine."

"Then I will have whiskey then," Gambit half grunted while stealing a look at the chick with the two dudes. She had large boobs. Gambit liked that a lot. He tried not to stare but he didn't try to hard. He remembered Storm from the X-Men. She had some big boobs too. Rogue didn't like it when he stared at them. She really got mad when he got a boner at the same time...women...can't live with them, can't kill them. He chuckled at his own joke and downed the whiskey. It was good, real good. He ordered another. "Have you got money dude?" The bartender asked, sounding a bit suspicious. Gambit threw a thousand dollar bill on the counter.

"OK, that will cover five drinks," said the bartender.

Gambit nodded and downed another. It was good stuff, his head felt better, lots better. He wished he had a fat joint too. The X-Men always had weed. Even the professor smoked the stuff. They grew it themselves too. Thats how they financed their fancy uniforms and stuff.

"I need a gallon or two of gas, can you fix me up?"

"You got to ask my brother over there, but it will cost you at least twenty grand."

Gambit didn't have that much but he had the gun. It was a small .380 but it was bad. He went over and asked for the gas man.

"Get lost you jerk, can't you see we are about the get busy with this young lady?"

Gambit didn't like the looks of things. The girl was crying, obviously she was terrified. He didn't like that sort of thing. He always tried to be nice to ladies, event to the ones that didn't want to have sex with him.

"Besides," the dirty man said. "We dont truck with cajuns around here, we kill them on sight." The dirty man moved his hand towards a large knife. Gamit sighed and shot the man in the head. Blood gushed out and the other guy got up quickly. Gambit motioned for the door. The dude ran out. Gambit turned and ducked just in time as a shotbun blast burned just over his head. Gambit fired twice and the bartender screamed and dropped his weapon. His chest featured a quickly spreading red fountain. He slumped over. Gambit walked behind the bar and fixed himself another drink. He also cleaned out the cash register. Two thousand, not bad except that one thousand had been his.

"The gas is out back in the shed," the girl said. "Please don't rape me."

The girl was very pretty, she had long blond hair and sweet lips. Gambit knew he wanted some but he would have to turn on the charm. "I hope you don't mind the fireworks, those guys were rude and I thought you could use a little different company. If you want to ride with me to the next town I will be glad to give you a lift. Do you have any grass, I could use a good buzz after all this killing."

The girl smiled a little. "Thank you not raping me, my name is Angie. I do have some pot, only a few joints but its pretty good stuff. Can I trust you not to rape me if I leave here with you. I can't stay here, there is an entire gang of these jerks, more could arrive at any second."

"Let's get moving then, and twist up a fatty sweetheart."

"I love your Cajun accent."

"Thanks, it took me a long time to perfect it."

Gambit filled up the cycle and took along another gallon in an empty milk jug. Angies squeezed up tight behind him, her big boobs crushed against his back. As soon as they put a few miles between them and the bar, he pulled over and they smoked the weed. It was good stuff. Gambit washed it down with a bottle he had confiscated. He had a woman, plenty of weed and booze. He stopped thinking about Rogue and gunned the bike. It was almost good to be alive.

The next town was such a sad place they just kept going. They made camp finally and Gambit spread his blanket. "It gets cold out here at night, hope you don't mind bedding down with me, I only have one blanket."

He body pushed up close to his felt really good. It didn't help that he was pretty wasted. However, he must have been more tired than he realized because all of a sudden he fell asleep. The next morning he woke with a start. Angie was nowhere in sight but he heard splashing. He followed the sound and found Angie naked, taking a bath in a pretty little stream. He boobs glistened in the sunlight and the rest of her body was nice too. He knew women, healthy women, were hard to find. He took off his clothes too and surprised the girl.

Her eyes opened wide, especially when she glimpsed his impressive manly equipment. "Are you going to rape me?" she asked.

"No, I stink and need a bath too."

Gambit washed himself and it felt really good to be clean. The stream was small but cold. He drank some water and it was pure. "This would be a good place to camp for awhile."

"We could build a lean to," Angie said.

"Hmmm," Gambit replied. The non-committment was clear in his voice.

"Why don't you dry off and fetch another joint?"

For some reason they didn't put their clothes back on. They just sat and soaked up the early morning sun and puffed some more dope. For some reason Gambit didn't even want to get drunk again. The more he looked at Angie's wonderful boobs the more horny he got. He soon had a full fledged flag pole.

"Its huge Mr Gambit, are you sure you dont want to rape me."

Gambit was about to answer when he heard a voice order him to not move. He turned around slowly, there were three dirty women armed with crudely fashioned spears. "We will kill you if we need to," one of the women warned. Gambit was naked and unarmed at the moment. He knew those girls were half wild and plenty capable of killing him. "What do you ladies want?" He asked.

"First you must give us all sex, and we are very needy."

Gambit nodded, it was gonna be a long day. He wondered what Professor X would have advised in this situation. That pathetic old cripple egghead wouldnt have done doo doo most likely. Gambit hated that man, or at least almost hated him. "Would you girls please wash up a little, I am clean and it would greatly increase my desire for you if you bathed." They mumbled among themselves for several moments before appearing to agree. The bathed one at a time while two kept a razor sharpe obsidian stone spear pressed to the throats of both Gambit and Angie. Angie was very scared. These types of physicall strong, female barbarians could intimidate a freaking Freddy Krueger. Pizza was what Gambit wanted for lunch. However, it appeared his lunch would radically different.

A mere hour later and half a jug of shine had helped Gambit push through the ordeal of pleasuring the three savage Amazon women. Finally, the three barbarians had drank enough to let down their guard. The leader called herself Valeria. She was a fearsome woman but also very sexy with her long blond hair, supple limbs, and huge soft eyes. Gambit was only a man after all. His full attention soon shifted to Valeria, what a freaking female she was. She reminded Gambit of a movie star like Amanda Seyfriend or Marion Cotillard. She was a lot more cultured than one would suspect as well. Her breasts were large but very firm. Gambit's eyes almost bled with desire. He was high on a mountain(s) of love. And how.

Gambit noticed that Valeria carried a long slender sword at her side. Gambit suspected that the senuously limbed warrior was adept at the sword and the spear she carried. He pondered if she were not adept at many things. Gambit cursed himself under his breath. Booze and women didnt mix. He could feel the urge coming to mix a mess of both into a big old stew and gulp down his fill. It was a comforting thought. "Who are the other girls?" He asked hopefully.

"They have no names, they are just my slaves. The amulet I wear of the Golden Sull Clan makes me the leader and master. I have others as well but as late I have lost track of them. I left them in the care of a vacant headed Barbarian brute named Conan. That proves he has made me mad. He sexes me well Gambit, as did you."

Gambit had no intention of locking horns with some WWE escapee. He was ready to move. At last all the girl barbarians had passed out save for Valeria. Gambit grimaced and struck her a mean left cross with his right. She groaned, eyed him stupified, and then she melted to the ground. She mumbled something he could not understand before snatching up Angie and heading for his bike. Along the way they grabbed as much of their stuff as possible. Seconds later they were roaring down what was left of the highway. For all he knew, they were on a highway to hell. At a hundred and ten miles per hour. It felt strangely right to Gambit. He worried a bit over whether he should have killed Valeria outright. His conscience was on his ass again dammit!

Mostly though he thought about some good Cajun friend chicken and froglegs. Washed down with a pint of good shine. He also thought about poontang. All that thinking only made his mouth water like a hungry coon dog.

The next dawn found Gambit shuffling his deck of cards and doing some hard thinking. They wouldn't starve. He had shot a good sized jack rabbit iand Angie cooked it up in an old iron skillet they had found. He glanced at her and she smiled. He wondered what she would think if she knew he could kill her with a toss of one of these cards. She served him rabbit and he ate ravenously. If you are truly hungry anything tastes good he had been told. At last he had found one truth in this krazy half baked world. Rogue couldn't cook, at least not good. Gambit wished he could stop thinking about her. He though about Storm too. What a babe she was. He hoped she was alive and well somewhere. He felt that way about both of them. It made him a bit depressed.

That day they came to a small settlement. It didn't look like much, fifteen or twenty houses, a bar, and some kind of beat up trading post. Not much else unless you counted outhouses. The people looked at them with disapproval. Gambit didn't blame them one darn bit. He noticed the men carried guns, a couple even had machine guns. The mutant had no doubt they would use them for event he least provocation. "Any place around here a dude could buy his lady friend a hot meal?" Gambit asked the first person he met that wasn't frowning. The tall farmer looking man nodded and pointed to the bar. "They got rattlesnake and jack rabbit stew in there. Its pretty good if you don't mind simple country eats."  
"We don't mind," Gambit replied. A nice plump rattler cooked up good and spicy sounded might fine right at the moment. His gut could make room for some more rabbit too. He took Angie's hand and thanked the man before strolling over to the bar. The sign called it was called DRIFTERS DEN. Gambit was sort of impressed. Then they drifted right on in.


	2. Chapter 2

Heaven is a hard place to find. I kept telling myself this as I wandered alone.  
That town there, so devastated by war and fear. Everyone was gone and nothing but  
ruined and shattered dreams and rubble remained. I smoked a cigarette and thought  
about what it all meant. I suppose it meant nothing, just another episode of the  
madness that is man. I pissed on a broken doll. It was a symbolic act on my part  
because nothing mattered in a way. I wanted to rise above, I was alive. I felt  
dead but who cared.

I walked on until I saw a painting. It was very nicely done but just lay there where  
some desperate soul had left it during a panicked flight. I propped it up against a  
large pile of stone. I thought it only right that it be displayed properly owing to  
its beauty and out of respect for the artist. I had deserted the army. They were  
fighting still somewhere. I burned my uniform. My side was losing and we were wrong  
to begin with. I wandered through enemy territory. The war had passed on, and left  
behind a broken world. Broken but beautiful in the strangest way. I felt guilty for  
thinking that way. Perhaps that is the ultimate purpose of war. It leaves such a  
lovely picture of crushed hope. It touches you somewhere deep inside.

Somewhere a distance away I heard laughing. It seemed so out of place there in that  
place. I walked toward the sound, I was curious. At last I saw an unpleasant but  
common scene. Two men were harassing a woman. One was on top of her while the other  
stood nearby laughing and taking drinks from a half empty of bottle. I saw an  
opportunity. I wanted that bottle. Maybe I could help the woman as well. She was  
young and pretty with flaming red hair. I pulled my pistol and shot the man with  
the man on the woman in the leg. He screamed and tried to rise. I shot him again,  
he was ugly, with rotting teeth. Another drug addict, better off dead. I put my  
hand out and the other fellow passed the bottle to me. "Get lost," I demanded. He  
wasted no time and raced away like an Olympic champion. I took a long drink, damn  
it was good.

The girl got up and tried to arrange herself. "Friends of yours," I asked before taking  
another drink. It warmed me and made me fart. Here was something one could put his  
faith in...booze. "Search the stiff, maybe he has cigarettes or something to eat."

The girl nodded and started rifling though the dead man's pockets. She found some  
smokes and a little bit of weed. "Shit," I said. "There's papers too." she said.

"Are you going to rape me too."

"No unless you want me too."

"maybe later, you aren't really that bad looking."

I shrugged and drank, "want some"?

She took the bottle and took a long drink. She was very young but her eyes were  
dark and haunted. I knew that look. It didnt bother me especially. "roll up  
a big one."

"I don't know how."

I sat down with the pistol on my knee and twisted the doobie. I found a match  
and we puffed away. The bottle was soon gone but I rolled another joint and the  
party continued. The girl began humming some song. It sounded pretty good. I  
wanted her but I couldn't understand why. This world was no place for lovemaking  
or anything really. I guess it was just the urges of my loins but didn't mind  
the pathetic amenities or the weather for that matter.

"you from around here?"

she just shrugged..."Im from no place."

I nodded and puffed the joint. It wasnt bad weed. I also lit a cigarette and  
gave the girl one. Her face was smudged a bit with dirt. Her teeth were white  
and even. "I'm going now," she said.

I watched her walk away. She was pretty happy I guess. She was stoned and I had  
given her some of the cigarettes. I thought about shooting her in the back. it would  
have been a mercy killing I guess. And I could have gotten my smokes back. I didnt  
do it though because I might have started crying afterwards. I cried a lot lately.  
Suddenly she stopped and turned around. "Thanks for not killing me, do you want to  
have sex?"

We looked around and found a house with a bed. We cleared away the rubble and filth  
until it was somewhat decent. We lay down and smoked another joint and a couple of  
smokes. Then I fell asleep. When I woke she was gone. I could smell her though. she  
had needed a bath but who didn't. I guess our relationship could be called platonic.

It would have been good but I had been so tired, drunk and stoned. Now I was rested  
and got stoned again. Then I walked on. There was a coat in the crushed house. I put  
it on because the weather had been turning colder.

That night it got really colder and I started a fire with some broken furniture and  
smoked the last of the weed. God, if only I had another bottle. The morning came  
and I found a car. Incredibly the keys were in it and it actually cranked and had a  
quarter tank of gas. Nobody was around so off I went. I drove down the highway, dodging  
the wrecks and decaying bodies. Then I saw her walking slowly. I pulled up and she  
got in. "Nice ride dude."

"I though so, hope the cops dont stop us."

She laughed and the sound was sweet. She kissed me, her tongue was wet and hypnotic.  
I fondled her titty. It was soft. I had a boner. We did it right then and there.  
We were enjoying the afterglow when a dirty ugly face peered in the window at us.  
I was a large man with a baseball bat. "Give me the car," he said. "and the woman  
or I will bash your head in." I slipped the .380 out from under the seat and shot  
him between the eyes. "damned busybody," I complained. "You can never have a moment  
of privacy anymore. Thank goodness half the population is dead or hiding in the  
mountains or under a rock or whatever."

The girl giggled. "I will search him."  
To our joy she found another bottle. We celebrated by getting drunk again and  
cruising down the desolation boulevard. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful  
relationship." I said. "thanks, I like you too, you cock gets amazingly hard."

"Clean living," I said before taking another drink and lighting a cigarette.

"My name is Amanda Seyfried, I used to be a movie star before the war."

"My name is Wilson Redd," I replied. I used to work at McDonalds before the war.

"Oh I used to eat there a lot. I loved the milkshakes."

"Me too, especially the strawberry ones."

"wish I had one now, Im starving."

"Im starving too" then I had a brainstorm. "Lets eat that dead guy."

"Seriously?"  
"Meat is meat."

Later that night we slept in the car. Our stomachs were full and we were pretty  
drunk. "Despite all, life has its moments," I sighed. Amanda looked at me  
with those huge eyes. "I could go for a guy like you, you are so optimistic and  
layed back. And you're a great shot with you pistol...both of them in fact."

We laughed and watched the sunrise. I cranked the car and hoped we didnt run out  
of gas for awhile. I was having fun, or at least it seemed like I was having fun.  
At least I knew now I wouldnt starve to death as long as I had ammo for my pistol.  
And shit, Amanda was a damned fine lay. I didnt really believe the part about her  
being a movie star though. Still, she was to nice for me to just come out and  
call her liar. I wish we could find someplace where she could get a bath though.  
Cleanliness is next to Godliness. I made that up you know.


	3. Chapter 3

Gambit had to leave town in a bit of a rush. He'd gotten into an argument with some big dumb redneck dude. Gambit had thrown a card at the fool and blown his head clean off. Before anyone could recover from the shock the former X Man had taken off like a scalded dog. He had to leave Angie behind but that was probably the best for the girl. She had gotten a job in the bar and Gambit figured she was a lot better off. Women needed stability, and there was precious little of that to be found. The only thing that bothered Gambit was the way some of the people back there looked a little plump. You couldnt get that way eating rattlesnake, jackrabbit, and praire dogs. The place smacked of cannabalism and there was a lot of that going round. Gambit grimaced and shifted his thoughts. He thought about Rogue and sighed. She had been a spirited little thing. Then he thought about Valeria, what a hottie.

Gambit traveled on until he spotted three figures coming his way. As they grew closer he recognized them. Three nazis. He exhaled, they were ok, he knew them and mostly got along with that crowd. He pulled over and waited until they arrived. "Hey Gambit, long time no see, what brings you up this way?"  
"Just cruising I guess, looking for a place to stick for a few days maybe." Gambit addressed the big blond dude with the mohawk. He had a swastika carved on the middle of his forehead. He name was Trask. He wasn't such a bad egg. Gambit had pulled a good drunk or two with Trask and he usually had some good weed too.

"What don't you come back to our hangout. We are roasting a fat coyote and we got lots to drink."  
"Sounds good, lets ride," Gambit replied with a shrug. He had nothing better to do and he'd partied with worse crowds truth be told.

It wasn't long before they arrived. At one time it had been a nice ranchhouse but last few years had not been kind. There were about ten bikes scattered about and plenty of tough looking nazis roaming around. Gambit followed Trask inside and a pretty girl served him a double. Gambit flushed the boozed down into his gut and it burned real nice. He didn't really have a lot to say to the nazis but things went ok for the most part. They didn't seem to mind having him around, most had heard of him and knew he was no push over. Trask lit a couple of doobies and passed them around. Gambit was feeling pretty good in a few.

"Hey Gambit, want to buy yourself a woman. We got some nice stuff downstairs."

Although he wasn't interested the mutant agreed to go down and look at whatever a nazi considered nice girls. He wasn't totally prepared for what he saw down there. There were three girls chained up. It was the same three barbarian babes he had run into before. Valeria was on the left with a black eye. She glowered at him with a rare kind of hatred. Her ample bosom heaved with passion when she caught sight of him. "I want that one," Gambit said and pointed at Valeria.

"Whoa now, hold on. That one belongs to Big Bob, pick one of the others."

Gambit scratched his chin. "Maybe I can work something out with Big Bob, I really want that blond."

Valeria spat and cursed at Gambit. Trask shrugged. "Its your funeral Gambit, I will see if Big Bob is willing to parlay."

Big Bob came down to the basement and he didn't look to happy about being pulled away from his pet pig. He and that pig were big pals and it was a good thing for the pig because he woulda been roasted a long time ago otherwise. Big Bob frowned at Gambit..."the woman is mine and she ain't for sale."  
Gambit pondered his options, there was only one that he was certain would be agreeable to Big Bob. "Ok Bob, you are a reasonable man I'm sure. I will fight you for the girl."

The other bikers gasped, fight Big Bob? That was suicide.

"Maybe you are a little to drunk right now Gambit, why don't you think on it over a good night's sleep." Trask tried to offer sound advice to his guest.  
"I want that blond bad."

"I will fight that little punk, with pleasure." said Big Bob. He actually smiled, displaying both of his rotten teeth. Bob was about six feet five, well over 300 pounds and it was all raw muscle. His arms were as big around as his legs and he had one eye that kind of wandered off on its own most of the time. He was one scary looking dude for real. Gambit wondered if maybe he was crazy. He just couldn't see a smokin' piece of woman flesh like Valeria being mauled by that man beast.  
Besides, she really turned him on and that meant a lot to Gambit. It had been awhile.

"Let's take this outside," Gambit said and winked at Valeria. She growled like an animal and swore to gut him in his sleep if he won which she figured was pretty much an impossibility.

Everybody filed out into an open lot and Big Bob did some weird stretches. "By the way Gambit, we fight to the death around here." The big brute grunted.

Gambit smiled, "I wouldn't want it any other way shorty."

Big Bob came at Gambit with a roar. He crashed into the mutant and knocked him for a long roll. Gambit came up quick just in time to see a monstrous fist coming right at his face. He dodged enough to catch only a glancing blow but it almost sent him to nite nite. Gambit used his quickness to stagger away. Big Bob paused his attack long enough to laugh and poke fun at the mutant. "Ive fought girls that had more spunk in them than this wimp."

As Bob came in for the finale the apparently done in mutant lashed out with a lighting fast kick that crashed into Big Bob's knee. He howled like a banshee and hopped around on one leg. Gambit followed up with a spinning kick to Bob's chest that would have made Chuck Norris green with envy. Bob smashed into the dirt and bellowed in rage. Gambit allowed him to get up before hammering three rights to the biker's face. The machine gun-like attack left Bob reeling. Gambit drove a piledriver right into Bob's gut and followed that up with a wicked left right to the big man's jaw. Bob wavered drunkenly and tried to swing a punch. Gambit kicked the bad knee again and Big Bob toppled like the Walls of Jericho. He lay on his back gasping for air. "Kill him Gambit, finish it!" The drunken bikers shouted vigorously.

Gambit bent over close to Bob. "Have you had enough yet?"

Bob nodded weakly. "Bob is a nice guy," Gambit declared. "I'll wait until I come through again to kill him. It will give me something to look forward to."

Trask slapped Gambit on the back. "Go get yer Gal pilgrim, I got a feeling she will be a lot tougher to tame than old Bob there. I gotta give it to you though, you sure are one fist swinging phenom."

When they re entered the basement Valeria looked shocked to see Gambit was still alive. The mutant approached her warily. "Look Valeria, I'm sorry about punching you that one time but I was afraid you might kill me. I would like to take you out of here if you are willing?"

"To be your slave, hell no."

"Its not like that, I dont do slaves, never have. You will be more than welcome to go your own way after we move on. The truth is I am lonely for some female companionship. If you ain't willing I understand but at least let's get the two of us the hell out of here."

Valeria clearly didn't trust him but her options were not exactly numerous. "I agree to go with you. But what about my slave girls here?"

"I only got room for one on my bike. Besides, these nazis ain't such a bad lot. I don't think they will be mistreated all that much, probably anyhow."

"I want my sword." Gambit smiled at the demand. "I'm down with that sweetie. Just don't forget who helped you get it back."

Soon Gambit thundered away on his bike. Valeria sat behind him with her sword at her waist and Bob's Pig on her lap. They were gonna eat like never before. The pig squealed in protest out this outrage. He did kind of enjoy the bike ride though.

The strange couple made camp and Gambit shot the pig. He sliced off some choice bits and tossed them in the skillet. It wasn't long before the two feasted like royalty. The chased the pork down with booze and passed around a couple of joints. Bob had been very generous with Gambit for sparing his life. Bob wasn't such a bad guy really. Gambit had partied with lots worse. Plus not everyone had a fat pig you could eat.

Gambit farted and Valeria burped and they soon settled down for a good night's rest. "Hey Valeria, you aren't gonna try to kill me in my sleep. I got a sixth sense about danger you know. I would hate to have to leave your carcass out here to rot with what's left of the pig."

"Don't worry Gambit, I am beginning to respect you for some reason. For a man, you aren't as bad as most. Tomorrow I may see it far different, as for now you can sleep in peace. Crom knows I could use some rest."  
Gambit dosed off but he caught one last admiring peek at the magnificent female form lying just a few feet away. If he had had any privacy at all he would have choked the chicken. Life could be so unfair at times. He took another swig off his jug and passed blissfully into dreamland.

The next morning they had more pig, booze, and dope. It was a great way to start the day. It seemed to Gambit that Valeria was a lot warmer at his back as they followed another lonely road looking for whatever they could find. Things like gas, grass, and ass...the stuff that made life worth living even in these God awful times.


	4. Chapter 4

He watched the rain. The park was deserted. He just sat there in his car and watched

it fall. He smoked another cigarette and thought about her. She had dumped him for

another guy with a better job and a lot nicer car. He probably had a bigger dick too but he

didn't want to think about that. Maybe he was better off, yes that was it...he was finally happy...

no.

The radio was playing a sad song. He turned it down. Richard was depressed, he took

one last drink from his diet coke and chunked it out the window. Littering was bad but

he had a problem with the entire world at that particular moment. He needed a friend but

who had the time when they worked seventy hours a week just to pay the bills and buy a

meal at McDonald's or Taco Bell a couple times a day. It started to rain harder. It was God

just trying to clean the planet...the filthy stinking planet. Maybe all humans were simply a

disease, or a curse. He needed to pee.

Richard got out of the car. His umbrella was in the trunk so he was gonna get wet even

if he got it out so he said "fuck it" to himself and sloshed through the rain to the bathroom

where he pissed for a long time. His washed his hands and smoked. He wondered if

Susan and her boyfriend were fucking while he stood there all alone. She liked to fuck

on rainy days he recalled. He remembered to much. She hadn't been a great girlfriend

but the sex was good and she knew where to get good dope. Susan had also ben plenty

funny to be around at times. She had a great smile.

He went back to the car and sat down heavily. He was almost totally soaked. He sat there

for a while and then tried to read. The book was called the Age of Reason by Sartre. It was

actually pretty good. The guy who tried to drown his cats because he wanted to punish

himself but was to afraid to commit suicide was cool. The character was called Daniel. He

was good looking and rich and he hated himself. Richard would trade places.

Richard scratched his balls, that had gotten a little damp. That was never good. He sat

there and watched it rain. He should probably go home but it was so damned depressing

there. All his books and Cds and DVDs just stared at him, reminding him how pointless it

was to pretend ownership of any damned thing anymore. He should have known something

was going on with Susan when she stopped letting him eat her pussy. That was totally

unlike her, she was always horny. He had a text, it was from Susan...

"I'm sorry it had to end like this. There is a part of you that will stay with me forever.

I wish I could say more but I always felt deep down it would end someday. You are

just so moody and a workaholic. Best wishes my sweet Richard"

He didn't reply...maybe later. He really had nothing to say..what could he say? He had to

work a lot of hours because his job didn't pay especially great and money wasn't worth

much anymore. He just sat and watched the rain and listened to the radio way down low.

It was getting dark early, it always did in winter and the overcast day wasn't helping. The

park would close in a couple of hours and then he would have to go home, or go somewhere

and get drunk. But then he would be in no condition to make it to work tomorrow and he

had to pull a twelve hour shit. His life sucked. He watched the rain decrease and then

increase in intensity. About fifty yards away there was an old family graveyard that had

always been there. It was just outside the park but he had totally forgotten about it.

To Richard's surprise there was someone standing there. He squinted through his

glasses just a bit to make sure he wasn't seeing things. The person appeared to be a girl

or at least someone wearing a long white dress. "Crazy bitch is gonna get drowned

standing out in this rain like this." He mumbled to no one and continued to observe...

quite fascinated. He watched the girl wander about, weaving amongst the old weathered

tombstones as if looking for something. Perhaps she had lost her cellphone or a ring

or something earlier in the day? The possibilities were interesting to say the least. At

least he wasn't the only fool out in the middle of a rainstorm. He watched as she

moved out of the graveyard and meandered about until he noticed she began to walk

in his general direction.

"Probably some drunk chick needing a ride?" he surmised.

Suddenly the rain stopped but it got darker. He could only see her because of the white

dress. It stood out, almost like a bridal gown he thought.

There was no question she was approaching his car. She moved slowly, strangely, like someone

in a bit of a daze or maybe intoxicated or stoned or something. She was pretty and

slim from what he could tell. The girl stopped a few yards from his car and looked all

about. At first he thought she was going to move on but eventually she came closer.

He rolled down his window..."are you alright, you look awfully wet?"

"Who are you?" The girl asked.

"I'm Richard...Rich for short. Do you need to call someone or something...is your car broke

down?"

"No."

"Its not a good idea for young women to get in the car with strange men but you can if

you like, I'll turn on the heater and you can dry out. I'm just listening to music and

trying to do a little thinking...I guess I'm trying to say I'm pretty harmless." Richard

rambled on for a few minutes...the girl was damned beautiful. He hair was wet but

very long and blond. Her lips were full and red. Her eyes were blue and haunting,

and her skin was alabaster white. She could have easily been a model, or a rock

star for that matter, or a rock star's girlfriend at least.

She didn't say anything but went around to the passenger side and stood there.

Richard took it for a signal and he opened the door. She looked in very

cautiously before sitting down. He cranked the car and turned on the heater.

"It may take a couple of minutes to warm up...what is your name?"

"Lynell."

"That's a pretty name, it suits you."

"Where is that strange music coming from?"

"Err...from the stereo...its the Red Hot Chili Peppers...do you like them?"

The girl said nothing, her eyes looked puzzled. "Are you alright?" Richard asked

again. He was beginning to think this girl needed help...maybe she was an escapee

from a mental institution or something. People did run away, he had an aunt that

ran away once and got hit by a car. He couldn't remember if she lived or died. It

wasn't that important and he stopped thinking about it.

"Can I take you somewhere?" he asked.

"I don't think so," she replied quietly. "No, I don't think you can..I belong here you

know?"

"You live around here?"

"No."

"I don't quite understand...you belong here but you live somewhere else then?"

She looked at him and smiled faintly. "It is all very confusing of course. But I

don't live around here. In fact, I don't live at all. I think I am what people called

a Ghost."

All that beauty wasted on a nutjob, Richard mused. He had seen it before. One of

his friends had a beautiful sister who was totally cracked. It was a shame, this

girl was smoking hot in her own way. With some more stylish clothes and a little

makeup she would be a lot hotter than Susan and Susan was pretty damned hot

in her own right.

"Sometimes I feel a little dead inside myself," Richard mumbled half to himself.

"No, I'm really dead, I was buried over there...I remember that place, my mother

is buried there too, I saw her grave..with her name and everything. And I saw my

own grave. I've been dead a long time, almost a hundred years. This vehicle of

yours is so different from the ones we had back then. I like it better I think."

Richard tried not to let her see when rolled he eyes. He was going to have to take

this girl somewhere...maybe the hospital would be Ok? Perhaps the police

would know where she belonged. Damn, they would ask him a million questions,

what if this poor girl was someone important. He asked again where she lived but

the strange girl was staring out the window. He put his hand on her shoulder to

get her attention but it passed right through her! He tried again with the same

result. This was madness..he gasped and broke out in a cold sweat. A chill ran

down his spine and he opened his door and jumped out of the car. He ran to a nearby

picnic shelter and tried to light a cigarette but it was impossible, his hands shook

like mad and he looked desperately for someone, anyone that could help him.

He had left his engine running and the steam rose from the hood of his car. It was

all an illusion. He was mad, Susan's leaving had given him a nervous breakdown.

There was no one in the car. That was certain. He finally got a smoke lit and it

calmed him a little. He wished he had a drink of something strong, real strong.

After about twenty minutes of walking about fretfully he felt a little better. He would get

in the car and go home, drown some booze, and sleep. He would call in sick at work

and take the day just to relax and, maybe go to the doctor for some nerve pills. Yes, that

was what he'd do. There was no one in the car. Just warmth from the heater and some

rock and roll on the radio. He took a deep breath and walked to the automobile quickly.

He opened the door and looked in...nothing. With a sigh he sat down gratefully. Still

shaken, he put his head down on the steering wheel his eyes for a moment in hopes that

his heart would cease its mad beating. He took several deep breaths and decided he

could drive. He looked up and there she was, just as before. "Don't run away again, I

promise not to harm you in any way. I couldn't even if I wanted to I don't suppose."

"I'm...err...crazy..right?" Richard stuttered. His lips quivered insanely.

"There is nothing wrong with you...its me that seems to be in trouble. I don't understand

why I am dead yet alive in a manner of speaking."

"You're not a vampire are you?!"

"What is a vampire?"

"Nevermind. What do you want of me?"

"You are the only one around, I wondered if I could talk to you...if you could see me...things

like that. All this is as surprising to me as it is to you."

Richard rubbed his eyes furiously. He wanted it all to go away...but he knew it wouldn't."

"Perhaps you could be my friend?" Her voice was almost pleading. Richard felt a tinge of

regret for the girl. He looked into her huge blue eyes and thought he saw tears. He wasn't

certain of anything. "I think I need to go home now, it was nice meeting you Lynell. I hope

everything works out and you get wherever you need to go. He hoped desperately that she

would take the hint and leave the car but she didn't. She started crying for real.

"Would you like a cigarette?" he asked.

"All I need is a friend...and a good one." The girl/ghost sobbed quietly.

Richard sat back in his seat and his mind raced through all the possibilities. The rain

began again. He sat there and watched it and wondered if there really was such a

thing as a Ghostbuster.

today while using the toilet I thought about starting a church or maybe running for president...then I flushed all my dreams away...sigh


End file.
